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A Guy's Gotta Eat
The regular guy's guide to eating...
Beef It Up
Red
meat evolved homo-sapiens from Neanderthals to neurosurgeons. Today
it's making vegetarians into Flexitarians.*
* Flexitarian: Someone who leans
toward a vegetable-intense nutrition regimen, but still is a
carnivore. I read about this designation
recently and realized I am one.
Beef is for dinner, and even if you start with a pound of frozen
ground sirloin (90 percent lean or leaner), it can be a complete
meal in less than 15 minutes – pretty important for anyone on a
busy schedule, even more so if you’re busy from a post-work work
out.
What’s obvious to most guys (an increasingly
accepted by the nutrition establishment, including the American
Dietetic Association)
is our bodies need protein to help build muscle, more so with
guys and especially if we are involved in strength training. Animal
protein provides a complete chain of amino acids that humans
need,
unlike plant proteins (in grains and legumes) that need to
be eaten in combinations to complete the amino chain, for example
with beans
and rice.
The Facts:
Homo sapiens evolved more quickly when they began scavenging meat
and bone marrow; today we get it at the grocery store. Regardless
of the era, the benefits of red meats are largely found in iron
(which carries oxygen to active muscles), zinc (strengthens the
immune system) and protein (essential to the building of muscle).
The downside of animal meats in modern
civilization is that meat is also a source of saturated fats,
which in excess challenge the
cardiovascular system. And boy, we modern guys know how to
do excess. The trick with red meat is to look for the cuts with
the least
amount of fat:
- top sirloin
- top loin
- tenderloin
- T-bone
- ground versions of the above at 90
percent lean or leaner.
The “You’re Still Working
Out” Meal:
You are going to work vigorously as this meal comes together, and
when it’s done you’ll fully deserve the sumptuous, full-bodied
dinner that it is. In the quantities given here it is enough
to serve at least two people, so if you’re eating alone plan
to eat half and save the other half for later. Just because you
like meat doesn’t mean you’re a pig.
You need:
• Deep skillet
• Microwavable bowl and a microwave
• Ground beef, 90+ percent lean (frozen, or fresh)
• Sweet potato
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Onion, medium to large size of any variety
• Stewed tomatoes (diced, in a 16 ounce can)
• Salt, pepper, and other spices to taste (try chili pepper, basil, oregano,
garlic or fresh cilantro)
Directions:
1. Place the frozen beef block in the deep skillet and turn heat to medium
high. Every 2 minutes, flip the block and use a spatula to shave off the
browned outer layer to expedite cooking this evenly. Cover skillet when not
shaving. (If you’re working with fresh beef, this will of course cook a lot
faster)
2. Clean sweet potato (scrub off dirt, dark spots and the gnarly roots). Grate
into the microwavable bowl (this is the workout extension), then mix with 1-2
Tablespoons of olive oil and about four shakes of lemon juice (bottled variety,
or the squeezings from a whole lemon)
3. Microwave sweet potato 4-8 minutes (microwave strengths vary), until tender.
4. Chop a medium to large size onion and toss into skillet with browning meat.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. When sweet potato is tender, move from bowl to skillet. Pour in any leftover
juices from the bowl.
7. Add tomatoes and spices to skillet for 1-2 minutes, then eat.
The sweet potato, lemon juice and tomato add a savory
quality to the meal, but still allow the primal satisfaction
of beef to rule. It’s a meal that could be shared between
Neanderthals and neurosurgeons.
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For more ideas on healthy meals made with
long shelf-life foods in under 15 minutes, get “A Guy’s Gotta
Eat, the regular guy’s
guide to eating smart” (Marlowe & Co, March 2004).
“A Guy’s Gotta Eat” strives to return
sanity to the simple act of eating, emphasizing the ease with
which sound nutrition can
be achieved in a busy workaday schedule through frozen, canned,
dried and fresh produce; whole grain cereals, breads and pastas;
leaner cuts of beef, chicken and pork; fish and other seafood;
and lower-fat dairy products. The book features 15-minute
recipes using long shelf-life products, ideal for grocery shopping-averse
men and others who are thin on cooking skills – meals that can
be faster, tastier, less expensive and far healthier than drive-by
foods ubiquitous in our convenience food culture. It is available
nationwide where books are sold.
Get the whole story on “A Guy’s Gotta
Eat.”
Order today
Questions for Russ?:
Russ Klettke
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